Items collected during Population Enumeration (for each person)

The following items were collected during population enumeration of Census 2001:
1. Name
2. Relation to head of the household
3. Sex
4. Age at last birth day
5. Current marital status
6. Age at marriage
7. Religion
8. Name of Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe
9. Mother tongue
10. Other languages Known
11. Highest educational level attained
12. If attending educational institution
13. Disability status
14. Worker / non –worker
15. Main Worker / Marginal Worker
16. Economic activity of the main or marginal worker
17. Non –economic activity of Marginal worker and non –worker
18. Marginal worker or non-worker – seeking / available for work
19. Distance and mode of travel to place of work
20. Place of Birth
21. Place of last residence
22. Duration of residence at place of enumeration
23. Reason for migration
24. For ever married women (i) Number of children ever born (ii) Number of children surviving
25. For currently married women (i) Births during previous year
26. For the cultivation households (i) Area of land cultivated (ii) Tenancy status

Items collected in House Listing Operations

The following items were collected during 2001 Census house listing operations:
1. Use of the census houses
2. Condition of census houses used as residence
3. Predominant material of the roof, wall and floor or the census houses
4. Type of structure of census houses
5. Number of dwelling rooms
6. Ownership status of the house
7. Number of married couples and whether they have independent sleeping rooms
8. Source of drinking water (e.g., Tap; Hand pump; Tube well; Well; Tank; Pond River;canal; Spring; Other) and its location
9. Source of lighting ( e.g., Electricity; kerosene; Solar energy; Other oil, Any other; No lighting)
10. Availability of bathroom, type of latrine and type of drainage for waste water
11. Availability of separate kitchen and type of fuel used for cooing (e.g., Firewood; Crop residue;Cow dung cake; Coal, Lignite, Charcoal; kerosene; LPG; Electricity; Biogas; Other)
12. Availing of banking services and availability of the specified assets (e.g., Radio, Transistor;Television; Bicycle; Motor Cycle, Moped; Car, Jeep, Van; None of these

Need of Census

The census provides information on size, distribution and socio-economic, demographic and other characteristics of the country's population. The data collected through the census are used for administration, planning and policy making as well as management and evaluation of various programmes by the government, NGOs, researchers, commercial and private enterprises, etc. Census data is also used for demarcation of constituencies and allocation of representation to parliament, State legislative Assemblies and the local bodies. Researchers and demographers use census data to analyze growth and trends of population and make projections. The census data is also important for business houses and industries for strengthening and planning their business for penetration into areas, which had hitherto remained, uncovered.

" In fact in these days you can not take up any serious administrative, economic or social work without referring to the Census Report which is an essential part of every enquiry of every study. Even for solution of minor problems you have often to consult the Census reports" -- Shri Govind Ballabh Pant

What is Census?

Population Census is the total process of collecting, compiling, analyzing or otherwise disseminating demographic, economic and social data pertaining, at a specific time, of all persons in a country or a well-defined part of a country. As such, the census provides snapshot of the country's population and housing at a given point of time.

The common perception is that Population Census is simply a head count of the people of the country.

But it is much more than that.

It is an exercise to collect reliable data on essential characteristics, such as, population, economy activity, social and cultural aspects, migration and demography and present them at the lowest administrative level.

The Census data demonstrates where the nation is positioned at a particular point in respect of various social and economic characteristics in the world.

The population census is also termed as the “snapshot”, as it provides details of the country’s socio-economic and demographic characteristics. The ten yearly census data is very useful for planning for future.

History of Census

'Rig-Veda' reveals that some kind of population count was maintained in during 800-600 BC in India. 'Arthashastra' by 'Kautilya' written in the 3rd Century BC prescribed the collection of population statistics as a measure of state policy for taxation. It contained a detailed description of methods of conducting population, economic and agricultural censuses. During the regime of the Mughal king Akbar, the work 'Ain-e-Akbari' included comprehensive data pertaining to population, industry, wealth and many other characteristics.
A systematic and modern population census, in its present form was conducted non synchronously between 1865 and 1872 in different parts of the country. This effort culminating in 1872 has been popularly labeled as the first population census of India However, the first synchronous census in India was held in 1881. Since then, censuses have been conducted regularly once every ten year.
The Census of India 2001 was the fourteenth census in the continuous series as reckoned from1872 and the sixth since independence. The gigantic task of census taking was completed in two phases. In the first phase, known as House -listing Operations, all building and structures, residential, partly residential or non- residential were identified and listed and the uses to which they were put recorded. Information on houses, household amenities and assets were also collected. In the second phase, known as Population Enumeration, more detailed information on each individual residing in the country, Indian national or otherwise, during the enumeration period was collected.
At the Census 2001, more than 2 million (or 20 lakh) enumerators were deployed to collect the information by visiting every household.